The present invention relates to a device for securing a gas generator in an oscillating manner as a vibration-absorbing mass inside an airbag module. Furthermore, the present invention relates to an airbag module comprising such device for securing a gas generator in an oscillating manner as a vibration-absorbing mass inside the airbag module.
From EP 1 718 503 B1 a vibration-absorbing sealing for a gas generator of an airbag module as well as an airbag module equipped with such vibration-absorbing sealing for a vehicle steering wheel is known. Said vibration-absorbing sealing has a hollow-cylindrical shape and in the area of an inner surface facing the gas generator includes an annular groove of rectangular cross-sectional geometry in which an annular flange of the gas generator is received. The vibration-absorbing sealing is clamped between two housing parts of the airbag module and fixes and thus secures the gas generator in an oscillating manner as a vibration-absorbing mass inside the airbag module. The assembly of the vibration-absorbing sealing on the flange of the gas generator is intricate and complicated, however, and therefore is costly so that the assembly of the airbag module in total is equally costly. The vibration-absorbing sealing is adapted to be clamped and in this way fixed between the two housing parts of the airbag module. For this reason, the vibration-absorbing sealing according to EP 1 718 503 B1 especially includes no absorbing feet.
The solutions in prior art functioning with so-called absorbing feet or securing feet usually are constituted by at least two components. A first component is formed by a metallic annular reinforcing member which reinforces an elastic material so that despite the use of elastic securing feet (or absorbing feet, resp.,) a certain stability is achieved. In this context, by way of example DE 10 2009 030 601 A1 is referred to in which a gas generator is retained by a metallic annular retaining member, an elastic stop lip and elastic securing feet. An outer rim of the retaining member is mechanically re-formed so that a tight connection to a securing flange of the gas generator is brought about. In this context, the assembly and manufacture of the retaining device is felt to be comparatively complicated.